Chapter 787 – Episode 774. Best Talent. (2)

‘… It’s so fucking fast. As long as you’re definitely not a fucking bastard, let’s go.’

166.7 km/h. It’s not that I haven’t encountered similar restraints before. Just in Korea alone, I saw Jang Woo-joo throw a 164, and I saw Otani in an international competition and Martinez, whom I faced in the major leagues, throw a pitch of around 165, and during live pitching, our team’s closer, Miller, threw a 166. I’ve even seen it at bat.

But just because I had seen it before didn’t mean I could see his balls being slow. As always, it was difficult to bat a ball this fast.

‘… It’s a change, should I aim for it?’

‘It’s a splitter. Low.’

Just when he was thinking about giving up on the fastball and going for a breaking ball, the ball he chose was a splitter. It was a ball called a splinker because its bending angle and speed were similar to that of a sinker. Looking at the video alone, it was a bloody ball with a maximum speed of 95 mph and an average of 94 mph.

In addition, his splitter is a ball that does not even hit unless you are lucky and have good timing while aiming for a fastball. As a fastball pitcher, he was the type to hit quite a few home runs, but he allowed less than 5 home runs with his splitter in 4 years of playing. It was that kind of harness.

‘… After all, it’s a bit of a stretch to aim for this.’

You hit a ball like this without even looking at its trajectory?

Since it made no sense, I decided to wait and see.

“Ball.”

And fortunately, it falls down and escapes out of the zone.

‘Speed ​​is 95.1 miles (153.1 km. H). Fuck, but it breaks this much? ‘Are you telling me to hit this?’

If you ask me which pitch to choose between a splitter and a fastball, my choice would definitely be the fastball.

Although the fastball just came out at 166, the guy’s average speed was around 100 mph, so he threw a slightly slower ball at some point, and it wasn’t so bad that he couldn’t hit it at that speed, so I completely put the thought of the splitter out of my head.

‘I wish I could throw a changeup, slider, or curveball.’

Of course, the best option was to target his other breaking balls.

Fortunately, except for the splitter, the other breaking balls weren’t that good, so targeting those balls was the best option for now.

He knew that, so he rarely threw breaking balls other than splitters, and he probably didn’t have time to adjust to the trajectories of the different breaking balls he threw. I thought it would be better.

Anyway, I saw the trajectory on video.

‘It’s a fastball. ‘Body side.’

‘Okay.’

But his choice is fastball.

‘Well, there’s no need to fool the timing with a breaking ball now that you’re not even used to the fastball. Looks like the battery has some ideas.’

“Ball.”

And as the fastball hits deep into the body, the ball is declared.

‘Wow, I was so surprised.’

The speed of the fastball shown on the electronic display board was 101.4 miles (163.2 km/h). It was definitely lower than before, but the fast speed was hitting my body, so I couldn’t help but stiffen without realizing it.

“Why don’t you throw threats? “Is it because you’re afraid you’ll get hit if you throw it into the zone?”

“Wouldn’t it be better if it were Jersey? “I think I’ll at least put you out even if I don’t throw it, right?”

After having a nervous battle with the catcher, I wait for his fourth pitch.

‘Fastball. It’s in the middle.’

‘… ‘In the middle?’

‘Yes, in the middle.’

The catcher, who had his mitt first on the outside and then on the inside, suddenly sets his target in the middle…

‘Could it be that you were excited?’

A thought crossed my mind that he was somehow excited. From the first pitch, throwing a ball with a speed similar to his highest speed, to the ball coming deep into the body, to the catcher’s mitt suddenly moving to the center, unlike the first time.

All clues showed that he was excited.

And swinging the bat against an excited pitcher is stupid.

Unless I’m throwing it to the center, I wait for the guy’s ball.

‘… ‘High!’

And the guy’s ball was thrown with a high trajectory from the start. If I hadn’t thought about waiting, I could have swung the bat, but I held back,

“Ball.”

… The ball maintained a high trajectory until the end, and once again, it was declared his ball.

‘Baby, you’re excited. They say that if I stay still, I will self-destruct. Already? Well, I’m a mess.’

Actually, I didn’t find it particularly surprising that the guy was suddenly shaking. It was common for people to get excited by my intimidation and slap their cheeks excessively. This guy is just a fast-moving loser. From the moment he came to bat, he looked at me intently, and it seemed like he was scared.

‘Tsk tsk. You’re scared while throwing that good ball. Anyway, pitchers have a very bad mentality.’

And as I have dealt with many of these players, I also had my own methods. Just narrow down the hitting zone as much as possible and wait.

‘It’s a splitter. Low.’

‘Anyway, isn’t the breaking ball too scary in a three-ball game? Just swing this around and rain it into the sky.’

If it was a fastball, I would have narrowed the zone as much as possible before dealing it, but a breaking ball in a three-ball. Even though I was scared, it was obvious that I was too scared.

“Base on balls.”

And of course the result is a walk. There was a lot of talk about him being the best talent since Strasburg, but he was just a shyster who threw the ball quickly. To be honest, I had some expectations because I was told I would throw an average of 100 mph, but I was a little disappointed.

‘Under… ‘I need to fix my new breasts today.’

As a baseball player, it was unfortunate for a player with that level of talent to throw a ball to end his career with a bird’s chest, so I decided to give him the best treatment. The best prescription is to steal bases.

Probably, since I am the best specialist in this field, he will be satisfied.

‘Mr. Rossby, let’s go.’

‘Hmm… But the fastball and splitter are over 95 mph, so is that possible?’

‘… First, let’s look at the timing of the breaking ball. It’s hard to catch breaking balls anyway.’

However, this patient was a little picky.

Well, even if I threw a fastball to 2nd base, I was confident that I would steal it if it was a pitch inside rather than a pitch out.

‘It’s a splitter.’

‘Okay.’

And his choice is a splitter. Perhaps, the battery decided to induce a swing by throwing a splitter rather than a fastball that was out of control.

And, as soon as he flinched, I ran towards second base.

“… Safe!”

If a medical accident had occurred here, I would have been in big trouble, but fortunately the outcome was threefold.

‘Hmm, but I still have to go to third base to get my breasts fixed.’

After getting to third base, if I was wandering in front of the pitcher, most pitchers wouldn’t think of giving me a walk in my next at-bat, so stealing third base was a necessary remedy.

‘It’s a slider.’

‘Oh! Slider?’

And fortunately, this time the patient complied with the treatment.

Slider here. Probably, since the first pitch thrown to Judge ended up being a ball, he was probably trying to get a strike somehow.

But that choice was his big mistake.

“Safe!”

Taking advantage of his slider, I easily stole third base. Finally, I was able to look the patient straight in the eyes.

Thinking of going back without fail, I slowly widen my lead. The patient’s eyes are shaking. And check.

“Safe!”

‘It’s obvious, it’s obvious.’

But he couldn’t throw a second check. If the second check fails to catch me, the situation becomes irreversible.

Perfect!

“Out!”

‘Ah…, Medical accident here.’

However, Judge had a medical accident where he hit an infield fly despite my help, and the situation was one out and third base.

Ta – Aak!

-Waaaaa!!

“Go! Go!”

Fortunately, Soto did her duty as a nurse and hit a big sacrifice fly, and I was able to get home.

‘It’s a little disappointing, but at this rate, I won’t give out walks in my at-bats in the future.’

The results of the surgery will have to be confirmed at the next at-bat, but when I saw the guy covering his mouth with his glove and swearing, I thought he probably wouldn’t give a walk in the next at-bat.

And if an excited pitcher throws the ball to avoid giving a walk, the ball will inevitably be crowded.

No matter how fast the ball was, if it came to the center, it was impossible to hit it.

‘Then let’s meet at the next at-bat.’

*

[Ah, Skins is shaking. After giving up a walk to Stanton, the Skins give up another walk. This is my third walk today.]

[The composure was bound to be shaken because one point was conceded due to Ji Maeng-ho’s stolen base, right?]

[… Walk again! Skins also gives up a walk to Scantlebury. … Kelnick’s batted ball! To the shortstop! Shortstop, first base! Out! The Skins prevent the crisis with bases loaded with 2 outs with a ground ball to the shortstop! In the top of the first inning, the New York Yankees attack was blocked without allowing any runs.]

[The Skins player is so excited right now, he needs to calm down a bit. As long as Skins doesn’t get excited, he’s a perfect thrower.]

[Pirates attack in the bottom of the first inning. … Rodon saves the inning with a three-way throw! The score difference of 1:0 remains. In the top of the second inning, the New York Yankees’ attack begins with today’s starting catcher, Torrance. … I hit it! Safety! Now the situation is 1st base with no outs. … Skins strikes out Volpi! This is the first strikeout in today’s game. And now, with one out and one on first base, Ji Maeng-ho comes to the plate.]

[Today, Ji Maeng-ho got a walk, and that walk led to a score. You have to be careful of Ji Maeng-ho.]

[… Skins catches Ji Maeng-ho with a strikeout! This is the second strikeout in today’s game! … Out! The Skins block the top of the second inning with no runs! … Rodon sent a runner into scoring position but blocked it without allowing a run! … Skins don’t concede goals! … Rodon gives up a walk but ends the inning! The score is still 1:0!]

[Hey, today’s game, there’s going to be a fierce pitching battle?]

[At the beginning of the 4th inning… … Rodon ends the bottom of the 4th inning with no runs! With a tight pitching battle at 1:0, the game continues in the top of the 5th inning.]

*

The treatment was completed successfully. … So successful.

My treatment must have been effective, as the Skins pitched well after being shaky in the first inning, holding off batters without allowing any runs and showing off their spirit by striking out me.

To be honest, I forgot about it because I didn’t swing the bat in my first at-bat, and although my hitting timing was a little off after meeting Cortez, the Skins’ pitch that struck me out was a pretty good pitch that hit the corner of the strike zone, aside from those things.

But even if he threw that ball, he wasn’t particularly worried.

‘But I’m slowly getting used to it now.’

This was now my third at-bat against him, and as I kept adjusting my batting timing to his timing in the dugout, I was slowly getting used to his pitches.

And no matter how fast you throw the ball, if it comes in loosely enough, it will immediately go over the fence.

‘Try throwing it in the zone like before and being rude. ‘I’ll hand you over the fence right away.’

Moreover, the number of pitches he pitches is 68, just 2 short of the limit of 70.

Now it was time to put an end to his good pitching.